Directory 2026

Au pair agencies in Switzerland: the 2026 directory

Planning to host an au pair and looking for an agency? Here are the Swiss au pair placement agencies we could verify: seat, regions, languages and whether they place au pairs from non-EU countries. Plus the honest answer to when an agency is mandatory and what lands on your desk after the placement.

Reading time: 9 min · Updated: August 2026

Answer in 30 seconds

Updated Updated: August 2026

If your au pair comes from a third country (non-EU/EFTA), placement through an organisation licensed for job placement is required by law (Art. 48 VZAE). For au pairs from the EU/EFTA an agency is optional. Either way: after the placement you are the employer. Contract, AHV registration and accident insurance are not part of the placement; they stay with you.

Third country: agency mandatory, au pair aged 18 to 25, twelve months maximum, own room (Art. 48 VZAE).
EU/EFTA: no agency requirement. You can search yourself or hire an agency for selection and support.
After the placement: AHV registration within one month, accident insurance from the first working day, a payslip every month.

This applies when

You are a family in Switzerland hosting an au pair, whether from the EU/EFTA, a third country or another Swiss language region.

Jump to the directory

When do you need an agency, and when not?

Whether an agency is mandatory depends solely on your au pair's passport. The third-country rules are set out in Art. 48 of the Swiss admission ordinance (VZAE).

EU/EFTA: agency optional

•Registration with the municipality, L or B permit
•Aged 18 to 30, one year, extendable once by one year
•You may search yourself: privately, via platforms or with an agency
•An agency is worth it for selection, contracts and support

Third country: agency mandatory

•Placement only through an organisation licensed for job placement (Art. 48 VZAE)
•Aged 18 to 25, permit for twelve months maximum, no extension
•Own room with the host family, language course at the place of stay
•The agency handles the permit procedure with the canton

Important: not every canton admits third-country au pairs, and quotas are limited. Before the placement, ask the agency how your canton handles it.

And within Switzerland?

The classic exchange year across language regions still exists: organisations like Didac or aupair.ch place young people from German-speaking Switzerland with host families in Romandy and Ticino, usually combined with a language school. You still become an employer, with all the duties.

The directory: active au pair agencies in Switzerland

We checked every entry directly on the agency's website. We list only what is documented there: seat, regions, languages, placement direction and whether third-country placements are offered. No ranking, no ratings, no stars.

Last verified on 24.08.2026. Listed alphabetically.

aupair.ch (reformierte Landeskirchen)
Third country: no
Au pair placement run by the Reformed churches: places young adults from German-speaking Switzerland with host families in Romandy and arranges stays in France, Ireland and Spain, with support during the stay.
Regions:
Romandy
Placement:
into Switzerland and abroad
Languages:
DE, FR
Website:
aupair.ch
Aupairlink / Wind Connections
Third country: yes
Agency in Erlenbach ZH (Wind Connections), SECO-licensed since 2002, licensed for Liechtenstein since 2008, voting IAPA member. Places candidates from the EU and from third countries with host families. Fees published: CHF 160 registration, CHF 1,490 placement (as of August 2026).
Seat:
Erlenbach ZH
Regions:
all of Switzerland, Liechtenstein
Placement:
into Switzerland and abroad
Languages:
DE, FR, EN
Website:
aupairlink.ch
CNW Creative New World GmbH
Third country: yes
CNW Creative New World GmbH in Gommiswald SG, a SECO-licensed private placement agency. Places European and non-European au pairs under the 1969 European Agreement on au pair placement, alongside internships and educational stays.
Seat:
Gommiswald SG
Regions:
all of Switzerland
Placement:
into Switzerland and abroad
Languages:
DE, FR, EN
Website:
cnw-switzerland.ch
Cultural Care Au Pair
Third country: no
International agency with a Swiss office in Zurich, active since 1989. Places Swiss au pairs with host families in the USA; it does not place au pairs with families in Switzerland.
Seat:
Zürich ZH
Regions:
all of Switzerland
Placement:
abroad
Languages:
DE
Website:
culturalcare.ch
Didac Schulen AG (Au-pair Plus)
Third country: no
Didac Schulen AG (Bern and Lugano, part of the Kalaidos education group): has placed au pairs from German-speaking Switzerland with host families in Romandy and Ticino for over 30 years, combined with a language school. School fees CHF 6,050 to 7,950 per school year depending on the model (as of August 2026).
Seat:
Bern BE
Regions:
Romandy, Ticino
Placement:
into Switzerland
Languages:
DE, FR, IT
Website:
aupair-plus.ch
Perfect Way GmbH
Third country: yes
Agency in Brugg AG: places au pairs, nannies and household helpers across Switzerland, including from third countries (a recognised placement agency according to its own site), and supports host families with the permit procedure.
Seat:
Brugg AG
Regions:
all of Switzerland
Placement:
into Switzerland
Languages:
DE, EN
Website:
perfectway.ch
PRO FILIA
Third country: yes
Non-profit association founded in 1896, today with its office in Fribourg and eight cantonal associations. Places au pairs across Switzerland, including from third countries as an organisation recognised under the placement act, and provides advice, contracts and a contact person during the stay.
Seat:
Freiburg FR
Regions:
all of Switzerland
Placement:
into Switzerland and abroad
Languages:
DE, FR, IT
Website:
profilia.ch

Clino has no partnership with any listed agency and receives no commission. Is an active agency missing, or is an entry out of date? Write to hallo@clino.ch.

Platforms are not agencies

AuPairWorld, AuPair.com, GreatAuPair or nina.care are matching platforms: you search yourself, and there is no placement contract with a licensed organisation. For EU/EFTA au pairs that is allowed and common. For third countries it is not enough: Art. 48 VZAE requires placement through a licensed organisation.

Au pair arriving at the host family with a suitcase

More than childcare

An au pair year is a cultural exchange with a contract.

A good agency does more than find a person. It makes sure both sides know what they are signing up for: hours, pocket money, language course, day off.

How do you spot a reputable agency?

Six things you can check in five minutes before you sign.

Licence: the agency appears in SECO's public register of licensed private placement agencies (avg-seco.admin.ch). For third-country placements this is mandatory.
Transparent fees: all costs are fixed before you sign, including what happens if the placement is cut short.
Written contract template: the agency provides an au pair contract template covering hours, pocket money, board and lodging, day off and language course.
Support after the placement: a fixed contact person during the stay, for the au pair too.
Replacement policy: it is agreed what happens if the match does not work out, such as a replacement placement or a partial refund.
Association membership: IAPA membership or backing by an association is a plus, but no substitute for the licence.

Be careful if an agency demands advance payments without a contract or promises that your employer duties disappear completely. They never do.

After the placement: now you are the employer

The moment you sign the au pair contract, a normal employment relationship starts in your household. The agency's job is done; yours begins. These are the deadlines:

Sign the au pair contract

Hours, pocket money, board and lodging, day off, language course: everything the authorities check belongs in the contract.

Accident insurance from day one

UVG cover must be in place from the first working day, not retroactively: with your own policy or via the compensation office's simplified procedure plus.

AHV registration within one month

You register your au pair with the compensation office of your canton of residence. Important: board and lodging count towards the AHV wage at CHF 990 per month.

Health insurance within three months

Your au pair takes out Swiss health insurance. The European card is not enough once they work here.

A payslip every month

Pocket money plus benefits in kind, cleanly accounted for, and the annual wage declaration to the compensation office once a year.

This is exactly where most agencies stop, and exactly where Clino starts: Clino prepares the contract, the AHV registration and the payslips; you sign and send them yourself. The residence permit and the insurance contracts stay with you.

Found an agency? Then the registration is still missing.

Clino prepares everything that comes after the placement: the au pair contract with the criteria as clauses, the AHV registration, a payslip every month. All 26 cantons, CHF 19.90 per month, nothing is charged before day 30.

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Frequently asked questions

Is an au pair agency mandatory in Switzerland?

Only for au pairs from third countries: their placement must run through an organisation licensed for job placement (Art. 48 VZAE). For au pairs from the EU/EFTA there is no agency requirement; you can search privately or via platforms. Within Switzerland, organisations like Pro Filia or Didac place between the language regions.

What does an au pair placement cost?

Most agencies do not publish their prices. One public example is Aupairlink: CHF 160 registration fee and CHF 1,490 placement commission (as of August 2026). At Didac you pay school fees of CHF 6,050 to 7,950 per school year, which include the language school. Always ask for the total costs including the cancellation policy. Your running costs as an employer (pocket money, board and lodging, social contributions) come on top.

How long does a placement take?

With EU/EFTA candidates it often takes a few weeks, because only the registration with the municipality is needed. With third countries it takes considerably longer: the cantonal permit and the visa come first, and not every canton admits third-country au pairs at all. Plan several months of lead time there.

What does the agency not do?

The placement usually ends with the match and, at most, support during the year. The employer is you: the employment contract, the AHV registration within one month, accident insurance from day one, the monthly payslip and the annual declaration all run in your name. Some agencies offer administration as an extra service; ask exactly what is included.

Sources

Art. 48 VZAE, admission of au pairs from third countries (fedlex.admin.ch, 2026)
SECO: private job placement and staff leasing, public register of licensed businesses (avg-seco.admin.ch)
Websites of the listed agencies, all retrieved on 24.08.2026: profilia.ch, aupairlink.ch, perfectway.ch, cnw-switzerland.ch, didac.ch, aupair.ch, culturalcare.ch

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